I hate to wait. Especially when I’m looking forward to something… like my flight leaving on time. But it’s often while we’re waiting that God gets our attention and gives us our next assignment. This week, let’s play a quick game of Uno as we learn four faith strategies to help us while we’re waiting. 3 Questions and 4 Faith Strategies: 1. On a scale of 1-10 (one being a little, ten being a lot) how much do you hate to wait? Explain why you chose that number. 2. What are you currently waiting for? 3. Why do you think God makes us wait instead of snapping His fingers and working immediately? Here are faith strategies to help you while you WAIT for a breakthrough or better times. W – WORD OF GOD – Search the concordance in the back of your Bible. Look up a word that describes a challenge you’re facing or something you need. For example, you could look up anxiety, stress, love, or hope. A – ASK GOD – Pray specific prayers to God. This will cause you to clearly communicate your needs and heart’s desire. Then when you’re prayers are answered, you’ll know who to thank. I – INVITE GOD IN – Every day brings new challenges. Your faith will grow when you invite God into your problem solving and decision making. T – TRUST – Jesus taught, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God, Trust also in me.” ( John 14:1) Trust is relying on someone and placing your confidence in them. Every day at 3PM, I encourage you to thank God for at least one blessing in your life then repeat, “JESUS, I TRUST YOU.”

“Where do you live? What do you do for work? Where do your kids go to school?” We live in a culture that’s quick to rank the room: who’s the smartest, the prettiest, richest? It’s been said that comparison is a trap. But I’ll just go ahead and say that comparison is crap! Why? Because it has the power to take our minds to places we don’t want to go. Spiraling toxic thoughts can lead us to envy, judgement, and even self-loathing which makes a mess of our minds. But wait, there is hope! There are two pathways we can take to get away from comparison. The more you take them, the more accessible they become. This week we shift lanes and stop comparing ourselves with others.

This week, we’ll see what happened when the sisters, Mary and Martha, met Jesus Face to Face right after the death of their brother Lazarus. Martha accused Mary of being lazy, and Mary thought Martha was a little crazy. But the truth is, both of them showed good qualities. When we face crazy times, whether it’s company coming or COVID keeping our kids home from school, we can handle it best when we blend both Mary and Martha together: praying like it depends on God, then working like it depends on us. Here are 3 Circle Questions for you to reflect on, then discuss in a small group. 1. Who do you most identify with Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet or Martha who was busy in the kitchen? Why so? 2. Why do you like it’s a good idea for us to be a BLEND OF BOTH sisters? 3. How can you be the best blend of Mary and Martha this week? Make an action plan and hold each other accountable to it. Thank you for being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call! If you liked this, please share it with someone. And I always love hearing from you about what you’re thinking, so please email me anytime at laura@3oclockwakeup.com

What is it about shame and regret that has such a powerful hold on us? If you’re like me, there are some things that are very, very hard to let go of. But letting go is exactly what Jesus wants us to do. He cares more about who we are becoming than where we’ve been. So this week, let’s do the walk of shame together, let ourselves off the mat, and allow ourselves to accept his forgiveness Here are this week’s 3 Circle Questions to reflect on alone with Jesus and with a few trusted friends this week. 1. Drop the Rock of Shame – Can you think of a “Walk of Shame” your feet have traveled? Where were you? What did you do? Who saw you? In Psalm 34:5 God promises, “Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Imagine yourself looking into Jesus’ eyes. What would He say in grace to you? What truth would He also share? 2. Drop the Rock of Regret – God cares more about who you’re becoming than where you’ve been. How does God use our mistakes to make us more like Jesus? What area of your life is He working on right now? 3. Drop the Rock of Un-forgiveness - When you confess your sins to God, He remembers them no more. Why is it so hard for us to forgive and forget when we hurt ourselves or we’re hurt by others? You are forgiven to forgive. How can you take a step of forgiveness this week?

When was the last time you stood face to face with someone who told you you’re not enough? Not smart enough. Not pretty enough. Not skinny enough. Not rich enough. It hurts right? This week in our Face to Face series, we look at the Samaritan woman at the well and see how she may have been misjudged - both by the women at the time and by ourselves, as modern day readers. But despite that judgement, Jesus looked past her labels, allowing her to walk with confidence into the plans God had for her. God wants you to do the same!

Did you know that Jesus’ first miracle in the Bible was to turn water into wine? A lot of wine. Some scholars estimate it to have been 180-200 gallons. Maybe Jesus was trying to show us that he could be just an average guy when He wanted to… I read the other day that when COVID -19 started shutting down the US in March 2020, alcohol sales increased by 55%. Sales of it online went up 243%. So…even if you don’t have a relationship with alcohol, I bet someone you care about does. I certainly do. And at times it’s been a little too close for comfort. This week, I sit down and exchange a few words of affection with a few bottles of booze. See if you can relate..

Today, we start a series I’m calling Face to Face. It’s about what happens when ordinary people, like you and me, stand face to face with Jesus. We’ll be looking at people in the book of John, but what happened to them can just as easily happen to us when we “look Jesus in the eyes.” It’s a face to face encounter that will change our lives forever! 3 Circle Questions Please reflect and talk about these 3 questions this week with a few friends. Read John chapters 1-3. 1. Review John 1:14. Why do you need both grace and truth? 2. Read John 1:35-50. In verse 43, how does Jesus call Philip? Think of a time in your life when Jesus called you to follow Him. Where did He take you? How were you changed by the experience? 3. Read about Jesus’ first miracle in John 2:1-11. What did Jesus reveal that day to His disciples? How has Jesus been revealing His glory to you lately?